Masters 2014: Scott ‘hungry’ to reach world’s summit

Defending Masters champion Adam Scott will move to world number one with a victory at Augusta National

Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters in 2013 Credit: Getty Images

Adam Scott is determined to stage a successful Masters defence and move to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking following an uncharacteristic final-round collapse at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Scott – who isn’t in action this week – held a seven-shot 36-hole lead and stumbled to a closing 76 to miss out on the world number ranking – a position he’s never occupied.

With Woods expected to be out until the summer – possibly missing all the majors in 2014 – it appears to be Scott’s time to seize the initiative.

He will, however, need to putt like he did at last year’s Masters – a display that was very much at odds with his flat-stick prowess, or lack thereof, at Bay Hill.

“If nothing else, it’s a good reminder on how much putting practice I need to do for going to the Masters and just how important it is,” said Scott.

“If I think back to last year, I made every putt that you expect to in that last round and ultimately that’s maybe what gave me the chance to win.”

Scott – the first Australian to win the Masters – acknowledges that now is the time to realise his full potential and fulfil a lifetime dream.

“I feel like this should be the peak time in my career. I have got to create these chances more often and I’ve got to take them more often than I have. I’ve got to start closing at a better rate than ever before. So I’m very hungry.”

On the prospect of becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to defend the Masters, he added:

“Everyone is just so excited to go. We don’t know what it’s going to hold and it always producesa something.

“It will be exciting for me going there feeling like I’m playing pretty good. Who knows what can happen again?”